Small Moments
by VivaciousReader'sLove
Summary: A collection of three short stories featuring the Elite Four and Champion of the Unova Region. No tears, angst, or hurt – just slice of life and all the mishaps that come along with being around the same people for a few hours too long.
1. Chapter 1

Most people in the Unova region had varying thoughts on what their Elite Four and Champion did while they had to be at the Pokémon League. Some said they simply held conversations about Pokémon, important regional matters, or, on a rare occasion, small talk. Others said they battled each other when it got particularly boring. Those who liked to think ridiculously outside the box said that they secretly hated each other and stood in their individual corners, avoiding all conversation.

Fortunately, the latter was untrue, as the five members were sitting around the dining table in their break house. The break house was modestly sized, with the foyer, kitchen, living room, and dining area all in one space. Down the hallway on the same side as the foyer and living area, there were two bathrooms and a study.

On this fated day, it was Marshal's turn, cards to his face, alternating predatory looks between poker face Alder and sleepy Caitlin. Grimsley and Shauntal had all their cards turned down, satisfied with the amount of chips in their possession.

"Caitlin," Marshal finally said with more conviction than necessary, "Do you have a King?

"Go Fish."

Marshal groaned in exasperation, grabbing the last card on the table, "Damnit! It's not even a King!"

Everyone chuckled, followed by Alder clearing his throat, "Can you hand over your Kings, Marshal?"

Laughter erupted, filling the room, Grimsley nearly choking on his water. Marshal rolled his eyes, handing over his three kings to Alder, joining in the contagious laughter a few seconds in. Alder proudly stacked his four kings down in front of him with his other cards as Shauntal slid four chocolate poker chips in his direction.

"I will at least get third place! I will not lose this game…again…" Marshal slouched down his seat.

Shauntal patted his back, "Don't feel too bad. At least you have four chocolate chips."

"Even then, it is simply a game. Nothing worth getting too worked up over," Alder reassured.

Caitlin tilted her head, "I believe he wants more of those chocolate poker chips. Four is too little, especially for the likes of me."

"Aren't we on the last round already?" Grimsley asked, finally getting the water out of his lungs, "Once Caitlin goes, the game is over."

"But the chocolate…" Marshal whined.

"Would increase your blood sugar levels."

"Oh please," Shauntal threw her hands in the air, "He'll burn that off with that workout routine of his. You should know that well enough, Grimsley."

Caitlin took the last card from Marshal's hands, as it was hers. Once again, Shauntal took four chocolate poker chips out of the grocery bag, passing them over to Caitlin.

"Alright!" Alder stood up, announcer voice ready, "In this game of Go-Fish, Grimsley wins first place with twenty chocolate coins! In second place, it's the one and only Shauntal with twelve chocolate coins! Sharing third place is Caitlin and myself, each with eight coins! Last, but not least, is Marshall, with four chocolate coins!

"With the results out of the way, let us eat!"

The other four simultaneously half raised their hands in the air, unenthusiastically cheering before grabbing a chocolate or two to pop in their mouths. They enjoyed the flavor of cheap chocolate as if it was a delicacy, not for pomp and circumstance, but because it was their little cherished moment after a silly game of Go-Fish.

Caitlin, feeling more generous than usual, passed four of her chocolate poker chips over to Marshal. After a moment of processing what just happened, he looked up at Caitlin, eyes wide, smile reaching his eyes.

"Consider those as a gift for not waking me up today, unlike someone in this room."

"Sorry! I was worried about you. You can't be skipping lunch, you know," Shauntal apologized for the millionth time.

Marshal got his thoughts into spoken word, "Thank you so much! I'll never forget the taste of these for as long as I live!"

"No need to be that dramatic," Caitlin unwrapped her last chocolate, "We know you will burn it off within two hours."

"On the same note," Grimsley started, "Does anyone want to help me finish this chocolate?"

Like clockwork, the others said a stern 'no'.

"You sir need to fatten up," Shauntal pointed a finger at him.

"Well then, I'll blame it on all of you if I end up with high blood sugar."

The five sat in silence for a few more minutes before a lightbulb went off in Alder's head.

"I have an idea! I can think of a fitness plan for you," Alder grinned at Grimsley, "We can start hiking!"

"Thanks, but no thanks."

"You sure?" Marshal raised an eyebrow, "Talking with Alder is fun and all when hiking, but why be a hiking duo when you can be a hiking trio?"

"Yes, I'm sure Marshal. Thank you for the offer."

Caitlin smirked to herself, "I think I heard him say that he would enjoy it. What do you say, Shauntal?"

"I heard him say that he'd _love_ it!"

Grimsley rolled his eyes, throwing a card at Caitlin and Alder.

"Well then," Alder stood up, straightening his poncho, "Get your shoes on! We're heading out!"

Caitlin and Shauntal quickly made their way to the foyer with Alder, getting their shoes and accessories on. Marshal, on the other hand, was pulling Grimsley off his chair as he desperately tried to grab the rest of his chocolate poker chips.

After a couple of minutes, Grimsley gave in to force and peer pressure, putting on his shoes with the same drama as his great-great grandmother. The crew headed out of their break house and to the League, earning a few looks along the way (primarily from a couple of Nurse Joys doing a shift change). Once they made it to the main hub, Alder motioned to one of the workers to turn on the teleport to the Champion's Room.

"We're halfway there! How's everyone holding up?" Alder asked with added sarcasm and drama.

Marshal did a backflip, "I'm ready for the next part of the journey! The beat of my heart will guide me through it all!"

"Five brave warriors set out on their journey to claim their rightful throne after being thrown out so carelessly. They don't know what is coming next, but they are ready! Ready to conquer the next trial with unmatched passion and wits!" Shauntal shouted to the almost empty room, gaining a small audience from outside.

"I'm falling asleep. Can someone carry me the rest of the way?"

"Grimsley!" Alder looked at him in the eye, "It's on you to carry Caitlin for the rest of this journey!"

Subsequently, Grimsley groaned as Marshall lifted Caitlin onto his back, "I did not agree to this."

Shauntal gasped, "But you must! One of our warriors has fallen because of Yawn! That leaves Alder and Marshal to fight when and if the time comes!"

"Oh please, then why don't you carry her?"

"I'm obviously not strong enough to perform such an honorable task!"

Caitlin yawned, "Thank you Grimsley."

"I hate you all."

The crew continued through the teleport, leading them to the broken champion room. There were pieces of rock and building everywhere, but the breeze was nice. It held a different atmosphere now than it did half a year ago, but alas, it wasn't the room that made the Champion, it was the Champion that made the room.

Several moments in the second half of their 'journey', Alder started humming one of the songs he learned during his travels while Shauntal kept telling the over dramatized story of their 'journey'. Marshal went to march in time with Alder, leaving Grimsley to walk with Shauntal as he carried a dozing Caitlin.

Within two minutes, they made it to Alder's post, Marshal getting Caitlin off Grimsley's back. As always, they sat in a circle in their informalized seating arrangement.

"That was exhausting," Caitlin curled down on the floor.

Grimsley face palmed, "I literally carried you most of the way."

The last pieces of conversation fell into silence, leaving them with the sounds of the wind grazing around the columns, the occasional rock dancing over the ground, and the distant cries of Pokémon. Everyone was gazing around the ruins, lost in their own thoughts.

Finally, Shauntal broke the silence, "So…how long are we sitting here?"

"I don't know," Alder smiled at the sky, "I was doing this just to mess around. Is everyone ready to head back? We'll have to wake Caitlin up…"

Caitlin sat up, "I was about to fall asleep, as I usually have a nap at this hour. Can someone still carry me back?"

Marshal walked towards Caitlin, "I'll carry you. I still have to burn off this chocolate."

They laughed in unison, heading back more slowly than they came. When they finally made it, Marshal laid Caitlin down on the sofa in the study area, heading over to a recliner to silently lift some weights. Alder grabbed a book over some wonder of Unova, deciding to read it over at the window sofa instead of a desk. Grimsley found himself at the computer once again, playing a game of tuxedo online. Shauntal made herself comfortable at her self-proclaimed desk, jotting down notes for a novel she was in the middle of. Caitlin, as always, relished in the peace of the study, feeling her eyes weigh down with joys of the days antics. Within a few minutes, she fell asleep with a soft smile.

 **A/N:** Hi there! It's me Lizzy, and before I go on, I'd like to say thanks! Thanks for clicking on this story and making it to the end. You can follow, favorite, comment/critique, and/or good vibes (maybe bad vibes, I don't judge) if you'd like. Anything and everything is appreciated. Now about how this chapter came to be. Originally, it was supposed to be a game of poker, but honestly, I suck. That's how it turned into a silly game of go-fish and an impromptu hiking trip to the Champion's post. I have no idea what 'feel' I was going for, but I think whatever it was, I made it work. At least I hope so.


	2. Chapter 2

The last two months were particularly brutal for Shauntal. Nothing was wrong within her personal or work life, aside from a stubborn case of writer's block. She tried everything from meditating, taking a walk in White Forest, training her pokémon, listening to different music, and even taking up a different hobby. Nothing seemed to work.

Alas, Shauntal didn't want to drown in her own self-pity. For starters, she was a member of the Elite Four. They weren't supposed to wallow and cry about themselves over petty matters. Writer's block was something that happened to every writer many times. It always felt like the apocalypse when it started, but it passed by eventually, like the sad part of a story.

In the meantime, she was in the kitchen, cleaning up the mess she made from making homemade lemonade. Like the robot she wasn't, she threw away the used lemons in the trash, slightly annoyed at her sticky fingers. A quick wash of her fingers got rid of it, letting her focus on wiping down the counters.

When she finally finished cleaning the countertops, she found the top of the pitcher. The joining of the top and pitcher made the most oh-so-satisfying _click._

That _click_ turned on the lightbulb in her mind.

Immediately, she grabbed five plastic cups along with the pitcher, running at full speed to the study.

BANG! _An awful crack of the book shelf and the door pierced the room._

BOOM! _The sound of the closed door laid loud flat on their ears._

"Hear me out."

Not a speck of guilt touched Shauntal when she noticed their emotional situation.

Caitlin was sitting up straight, hand over heart, heavily breathing the life back into her. Grimsley's back was stiffly twisted in her direction, expression full of blank shock and confusion. Marshal apparently dropped a weight when she slammed the door, his mouth hanging open. Alder was barely holding his book from the top, shaking slightly from the sudden outburst.

"Us," she gasped, "In an alternate universe…as SPIES! Super. Secret. SPIES!"

Shauntal was met with the same looks again. A moment later, Alder started awkwardly laughing, motioning the others to sit on the center rug in front of Caitlin. They slowly made their way, taking a couple of steadying breaths along the way.

"So, you were saying," Alder started as he sat, "Super-secret spies?"

"Yes."

"Is this for a novel you're writing?" Marshal asked.

She shrugged, "No. It's just a silly story I thought of while making lemonade."

Grimsley took the lemonade and deformed cups from Shauntal, "You thought of us being super-secret spies while making lemonade?"

"I suppose so," she smiled to the ceiling, "I'm not sure how it triggered that idea, but I won't question it. Any inspiration is good, as long as I put it to use."

"Pray tell, it won't give me a heart attack, won't it?" Caitlin finally spoke, hand still over her heart.

"It won't! I'm sorry for scaring you awake, by the way."

"It's alright. I want to hear what you have in mind. It must have been exciting if you barged in the most peaceful place of this house."

The five friends chuckled, Grimsley pouring lemonade for everyone in the newly reformed plastic cups. Shauntal swirled her lemonade in her cup before taking a few satisfying gulps to clear up the mess in her mind.

"You can start, Shauntal," Alder said once everyone was settled.

"Okay. Here I go," she cleared her throat, "For the record, this story is absolutely ridiculous. This will also be the worst storytelling in the history of my life. Don't expect what you find in my novels.

"It starts out with us in a room with Looker over in a building in Castelia City. It's a sketchy room, but we're spies, and we need to be subtle with our appearances. Think of the International Police, but our faces are mostly unknown.

"Regardless, he is sending us on a critical mission. One that can spell disaster if we fail. The mission? We need to find and destroy Team Bad Guys. The catch? We must bring back the leader – _alive_."

Marshal laughed, "Team Bad Guys?"

"Don't question it. I couldn't think of a better name. After receiving our mission, we think of a plan to invade the building. It follows as such:

"Alder, our informalized 'leader', will go in first from the back with Marshal and Grimsley. Once the coast is clear, Marshal is going to let Caitlin and I know via text. We go in, catching up with the boys. What we do from there was going to be improvised because we don't know the layout of the building, or who's there.

"Is everyone following so far?"

Her fellow friends grunted and nodded in affirmative, sipping on their lemonades, slightly more involved than originally planned.

"Great! Of course, nothing goes to plan. The Team Bad Guys Headquarters is an underground building with one entrance. That means there is no back entrance, so we must sneak our way around. Alder goes in first to test the waters. No alarm goes off. Grimsley goes in next and so on. No alarm goes off, much to our relief. We sneak around the lobby, gathering important information from the computers, notepads, and the like.

"Is everyone still following? Something interesting is about to happen."

Once again, they nodded in affirmative as Grimsley poured another cup of lemonade for Marshal and Caitlin.

"Good! Suddenly, we hear footsteps coming from behind the receptionist desk. Obviously, five of us can't hide in one open area, so we separate. Marshal and I run off to the left side while Grimsley and Caitlin run off to the right. Alder is…hiding in a box underneath the desk."

A burst of laughter broke the peace of the room as their minds were filled with the image of Alder fighting with himself to fit in a box underneath a desk.

"It must be a large box if it can fit me."

Grimsley put his cup down to avoid spilling it, "I doubt we're supposed to worry about the schematics of everything."

"Go on, Shauntal," Marshal didn't hide his excitement, "I'm invested in this story. I need to know what happens!"

She laughed, "Of course! The point of view changes to where Marshal and I ended up. We sneak our way into a large, suspicious room, filled to the brim with computers and other technology. Immediately, we start hacking the computer, stuffing as much information into the USB as possible. As that is going on, I start taking pictures of notes everywhere. Before we can get comfortable, a group of Team Bad Guy Grunts challenge us to a battle!

"Long story short, it's an intense battle, leaving Marshal's Mienshao and Sawk fainted along with my Froslass and Jellicent. We thought after winning the battle, they would run off, but they didn't. Instead, they start throwing punches. Lucky for me, I have Marshal by my side, who knocks them out easily. I knock some of them out too, but, if I'm being honest, Marshal's doing most of the work."

Marshal punched an invisible man in front of him, playing out the most recent part of the story. Shauntal joined in the theatrics, throwing another invisible man at him. Alder 'moved' out of the way as Marshal knocked out the second invisible person.

Caitlin 'shielded' herself from the chaos, "What's going on with Grimsley and I?"

"Good question! The right side of the underground building is trickier to navigate. However, Grimsley and Caitlin are smart. They make their way to a closed hallway, which they hack in. The hallway leads into this hidden room, filled with research materials.

"Before they can look around, Team Bad Guy Security Personnel storm their way in. Caitlin, being small, slips her way in a box. Grimsley, unable to hide anywhere or take on everyone, decides to keep Caitlin safe by willingly going along with security.

"During this entire time, Alder was still in his box, eavesdropping on the conversation happening outside. They finally leave after some time, letting him get out of the box. He looks at the message from Marshal and I, before texting us to meet him at the lobby.

"Is everyone still following?"

Her friends nod again, more invested than she imagined for a simple, messy story. The story wasn't meant to be great in the slightest, at best, mediocre, but if it humored her friends, then why wouldn't she tell it?

"Great! We're getting there, I promise!"

Alder chuckled, "You're all good, Shauntal. I want to hear the rest."

She smiled wide, "Thanks! Once Marshal and I meet up with Alder in the lobby, we get a text from Caitlin stating that Grimsley has been captured, and she needs our help. We head over to her location, only avoiding security because they are caught up with Grimsley.

"When we find her, she's all fine and dandy with a tablespoon of angry. After an exchange of information, we head out, starting the search for our friend. Turns out, he's at the security office, where the leader of Team Bad Guys happens to be. With the super-secret spy crew back together, we battle simultaneously with our pokémon and fists to knock out everyone except their leader.ok

"Caitlin, still mad at the fact that Grimsley was taken, gives the leader a satisfactory punch to the stomach.

"In the end, Grimsley doesn't have a scratch, and Alder drags the leader of Team Bad Guys to Looker. With the mission declared a success, we go out to eat ice cream."

Shauntal sat there for a minute, contemplating the ending of the story, "I don't like that ending. It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I'll fix it up sometime. Any thoughts?"

They sat in their respective positions for a few minutes, asking more questions about the story, finishing up what was left of the lemonade, and relishing the fact that Shauntal was finally out of her writer's block. Five minutes later, they decided to move back to their favorite spots, resuming their tasks there.

Caitlin yawned, "I'm sorry that I leave you to some terrible people in an alternate universe, Grimsley. Worry not, I can apparently throw a punch when needed. I must find it more entertaining than my psychic powers."

Grimsley laughed, "No problem, Caitlin. It's good to see that you'll come and find me whenever I'm lost."

"It's certainly one of your more interesting stories, Shauntal," Alder said from the window seat, "definitely not what you usually write, but I enjoyed it nonetheless."

Marshal reclined his chair back, "You're also out of your writer's block, so you can write some more again. I much prefer seeing you in a better mood."

She mouthed a 'thanks' to the three men while getting comfortable in her desk, ready to jot down notes for her next, actual novel.

 _One year after Black & White 2_

Almost everyone was in the main space in the break house. Shauntal and Grimsley were in the kitchen, making lemonade and sandwiches respectively. In the dining room, Caitlin and Marshal were having small talk while the news was humming in the background. Iris, on the other hand, was busy over in the study, reading something on her phone.

Suddenly, the door to the study opened brashly, but closed without a sound. Iris sped over the entrance of the hallway, hands waving excitedly in the air, catching their attention.

"Guys!" Iris practically screamed, "I found fanfiction! Of us! Well, not me, but of you four and Alder! It's so silly too! Basically, you guys were super-secret spies on a mission for Looker. Somehow, Grimsley got himself captured to save Caitlin the trouble, even though both of you can easily take care of some bad guys!"

Not a moment later, the four busted out in laughter, remembering exactly where that point came from. Iris also joined on the laughter, but because the story was a ridiculous but put-together mess as a whole.

"Iris," Caitlin called out, "Who wrote the story?"

"Uhhhh," Iris looked down at her phone, "Some x..X…krn…sugars…w…t…star…Xx670 person?"

The five friends laughed some more, one of them ready to embarrass the other.

"So Shauntal," Marshal sat up, "Is that your super-secret online pen name?"

She threw a used lemon at him, "Yes…"

"I can't believe you posted that," Grimsley said between laughs.

Iris stood there, eyes wide, hands on hips, "Whaaaaaaat!? Shauntal. Our Shauntal."

They nodded in affirmative, prompting Iris come to the bar, face to face with _her_ Shauntal, "How is that possible!? You don't write like that! I've read most of your books too! You write so beautifully and full of passion! You don't even write about…alternate universes where people become super-secret spies! You write about your own adventures and pokémon!"

Shauntal simply patted her hair, "You see, it would be a terrible secret persona if my writing style was the same. Besides, I wrote that for fun. Take a seat at the table, and I'll tell you how the whole story came to be."

Iris hopped off the stool, skipping over to the table, taking her seat between Marshal and Caitlin as she gushed about the hilarity of the story. Within a few minutes, Shauntal and Grimsley walked over to the table, passing over sandwiches and lemonade, ready for story time to begin.

 **A/N:** Hi there! It's me Lizzy, and before I go on, I'd like to say thanks! Thanks for clicking on this story and making it to the end. You can follow, favorite, comment/critique, and/or send good vibes (maybe bad vibes, I don't judge) if you'd like. Anything and everything is appreciated.

This idea came about while I was eating a terrible microwaveable chimichanga for dinner one day with my sister. I don't remember how it all played out, but what I do remember is making out the scene where Shauntal slams the door open and shut. Good thing the doors I used were imaginary, or else I would never hear the end of it from my mom.


	3. Chapter 3

_Ping!_

Marshal turned at the sound of the finished popcorn in the microwave. It didn't seem to break Caitlin's focus in arranging her Kalos-based macarons, but he still made sure to move carefully around her. Quickly, he moved the popcorn to the counter, opened it, and poured it into its designated bowl, heading over to the island to put it in its proper place once he threw the bag away.

His eyes suddenly became fixated on Iris, who was slowly pouring Pokémon Crackers into a bowl, obviously looking for something.

"Ah-ha!" Iris took a Salamence out, putting it to the side.

"Already claiming some crackers?" Marshal asked, ready to do the same.

She gave him a pointed look, "It's a Salamence! You know, pseudo-legendaries are hard to find in these crackers. Though, they're not as hard to find as legendaries. I'm still looking for Zekrom…"

"You'll find Zekrom someday. In the meantime," Marshal cleared his throat to holler, "Have we thought of a seating arrangement?"

Shauntal looked back from dining table, "I know you, me, and Caitlin will be sitting in the same places. Alder will probably sit where he used to sit. That leaves Grimsley and Iris without a seat."

"I'll sit on the floor!" Iris piped.

"Are you sure?" Grimsley asked from the dining table, "It's not an issue for me to sit on the floor or get a chair from the study."

Iris gave him the biggest grin she could muster, "I'm sure! Besides, I like the floor. It gives me space to move."

Grimsley chuckled, "As you wish, Iris."

As soon as Caitlin was finished, the five moved their perspective food/drinks to the coffee table. Marshal, Caitlin, and Shauntal took their respective seats subsequently, followed by Iris. Grimsley turned on the television to some new reality show, raising the volume in the process. As soon as he sat down next to Caitlin, the doorbell rang.

Before Grimsley could comment about timing, Iris bolted to the door, haphazardly opening it.

"Alder!" Iris crushed him into a hug.

"Still full of energy, aren't we?"

The others laughed at scene, heading over to the doorway to greet him, Marshal stealing a Pokémon Cracker along the way.

Grimsley and Alder shook hands before patting each other's backs, "You look good, Alder."

He laughed, "Thank you. I have Siebold's cooking to thank for that."

"Siebold?" Marshal asked as he, too, crushed Alder (or tried to).

"He was adamant about what and where I ate while I was at Kalos. If I remember correctly, he said when I first arrived, 'As an Elite Four member and friend, please tell me you don't eat _those_ croissants.'"

Caitlin raised an eyebrow as she hugged Alder, "I hope you didn't tell him about our eating habits. That would be a nightmare for all of us to endure."

"Don't worry, I didn't," he went over to hug Shauntal, "Are the eating habits still the same?"

"Almost," Shauntal started, "On the days we must be here, we have to limit our junk food intake. Drayden's orders. Unfortunately, we can't be getting Iris into 'bad habits'."

They laughed, finding their way to the living room with greetings out of the way. Once settled, Iris and Marshal started putting together plates of snacks and drinks for everyone. Shauntal started small talk, informing Alder of what has happened as of late in the region. As for herself, she recently came out with another novel. Caitlin was doing better with her psychic powers and emotions, now able to control them to another higher degree. Iris was still loving dragons and doing her Champion duties.

On the most absurd, but more 'serious note', Marshal and Grimsley were in the middle of an on-going bet on who could scare Professor Juniper on camera first. It was of utmost importance and source of half-assed 'tension'.

A sudden, boisterous tune blasted from the television, shifting their focus in an instant. It was the ever-so-popular celebrity news show.

 **Myra:** You know what time it is! It's time for The PokéRundown! Your source for all your celebrity trainer news! I'm your hostess, Myra!

 **Philip:** And I'm your host, Philip! On this episode, we are covering _(dramatic drumroll)_ the CRISIS IN KALOS!

"Kalos?" Caitlin tilted her head.

Grimsley scoffed, "It's just the celebrity news be -,"

 **Myra:** To get to the bottom of the crisis, we got into the secret lives of the Kalos League – specifically, their Elite Four and Champion!

 **Philip:** Let's start with the one and only, Diantha!

A cheesy but clean transition played out before them. Some were already more invested than others, especially Marshal and Iris, trying to figure out what was so new with Diantha, apart from the obvious. Suddenly, a new picture of Diantha popped up on the screen, next to the host and hostess.

"I haven't seen that picture of her," Shauntal leaned closer, "How does she always look so exquisite in every picture?"

"I once heard that it is impossible to take a bad picture of her," Caitlin added.

 **Philip:** As we all know, our fellow Kalos Champion Diantha is in a new movie! I know what you're thinking, 'yeah, yeah, that's not new, she's an actress, duh', BUT there is something different about this role than the ones she usually does.

 **Myra:** According to the latest statement from the company, Diantha will be playing Cheree Deaton, the female lead in _The Mist of the Beginning_! Cheree is a totally bad-ass woman, living a double life. But what's the double life?

 **Philip:** Hold on tight guys, cause this is going to be a shocker. Cheree is a secret agent AND mom. That's right. A mom.

 **Myra:** Hold up, I know what you guys are thinking. 'Yeah, she's playing a secret-agent and mom. What's so cool about that?' Let me tell you. For starters, Diantha is neither a mom-to-be or mom. She doesn't even have a boyfriend as far as we know!

 **Philip:** So how did we get to the bottom of this? We interviewed her, of course!

The interview could hardly be considered as one. It consisted of a bunch of paparazzi hiding in the bushes or in plain sight, ambushing Diantha as soon as they got the chance. Just watching it made Grimsley and Marshal cringe, Shauntal and Caitlin weirdly uncomfortable, and Iris and Alder blank faced. However, Diantha didn't seem phased at the slightest. At a moment's notice, she was smiling, answering every question, no matter how strange, with grace.

"How does she stay so calm?" Marshal asked, "I would've accidentally punched one of them!"

"I wouldn't put it past you," Grimsley added.

Somehow the paparazzi-induced interview ended in peace, triggering a transition back to the hosts in the present time.

 **Philip:** It looks like Diantha isn't pregnant after all!

 **Myra:** You never know Philip. She could've lied to us! The world will know for sure in nine months!

They cringed simultaneously, leaning against their seats in hopes it would swallow them.

 **Philip:** Moving on, we have some news about Wikstrom that may be difficult for our viewers to see. If you have young kids, make sure to cover their eyes!

 **Myra:** We'll be right back after this commercial break!

Alas, the commercial break went by without much incidence. It mostly consisted of Grimsley placing a bet against Caitlin over the news of Wikstrom was about. The bet was set at one macaron (Caitlin wasn't going to try her luck against him). Caitlin guessed that the news was over him accidentally not holding a door open for a lady. Grimsley guessed that it was him not wearing his armor.

Flashy music and transitions played out, signaling the moment of truth.

 **Philip:** Welcome back to The PokéRundown! I'm Philip and, boy, do we have the tea on Wikstrom today! Tell us what's up, Myra.

 **Myra:** Alrighty! Get your eyes and ears ready! We just caught Wikstrom…okay, give me a moment. This is hard to take in, you know. We caught Wikstrom wearing _normal clothes._

Immediately, Caitlin used her psychic powers to shove a macaron to Grimsley's face, "I should know better than to bet against you."

Grimsley chuckled, "I should have known that you would shove a macaron to my face."

The two looked back at the screen with the others, noting the suit Wikstrom was dressed in with the hosts.

 **Philip:** Now look at _that_! If you don't know who's design that is, where have you been?

 **Myra:** The absolutely gorgeous, classic three-piece suit is straight from Valerie's latest fall collection! It's complete with subtle charcoal pinstripes and a silver three stair styled handkerchief. Oh, and the fit? Impeccable!

"You know, he doesn't look bad in a suit. Different, yes, but not bad," Shauntal commented.

"If you walk around Kalos," Alder started, "You'll notice he has different armor sets. No one takes a second glance. When we met up, he wondered how I distinguished him so quickly."

Caitlin tilted her head, "What did he expect? The reflection of the armor to blend him into the crowd?"

Alder sighed, "I have no idea…I didn't know whether he was being serious or messing with me either."

A hum of agreement and silence followed as they continued to watch the show.

 **Philip:** It took us a hot minute to recognize him! Any ideas on what happened to his armor?

 **Myra:** Not much, but Twitter is filled with theories! Did his armor get a scratch? If so, is it at a repair shop? Is he switching up styles? Instead of medieval renaissance, maybe modern-day knight? What if…he's selling it? Do Elite Four members not get paid enough? How can that be possible?

Iris turned to face Marshal, "Hey Marshal."

"Yes?"

"If he's selling the armor, I'm gonna buy it."

"And?"

"Can you _pleeeease_ wear it? It's not going to fit me."

Everyone busted out in laughter, an image of Marshal in Wikstrom's armor engrained in their minds. Marshal started mimicking knight poses while Alder was giving tips on how to be more 'Wikstrom'. Iris soon joined in on the fun, claiming herself to be 'knight pose queen' in the end of it. In their fun, they missed the interview with Wikstrom, attention only shifted back to the screen when the transition sequence played.

 **Philip:** Moving on to the next member, we have Siebold! Honestly, this one is terrifying. I would've never guessed this in a million years that I'd see this. We caught Siebold eating fast food!

 **Myra:** What? Siebold? The world-famous chef? How can this be!?

 **Philip:** I don't know, Myra, but do you know what I'm thinking?

 **Myra:** Spill.

 **Philip:** What if…okay this sounds crazy, but what if, Kalos has a…FOOD SHORTAGE?

The six groaned in sync, Caitlin finally deciding to rest her head on Shauntal's lap (and give Grimsley a small kick for winning that bet earlier, just to be petty). A montage of outdated news and select movie clips played out as Myra gave a whole 'explanation' of how this could mean the end of Kalos's great food as the world knew it.

Another paparazzi-induced interview would have gone as planned, but when did it ever? In short, it was chaos. As soon as Philip gave his 'go' signal, he ran across the street as a car was coming. Luckily, the car slammed on the breaks in time, sparing Philip's life (maybe not for the better). The enraged driver rolled down the window, cursing them out, but Philip and his crew didn't pay him any mind. They simply moved on, screaming Siebold's name, who was already turned around in horror of what just unfolded before him.

Apparently, he was already late to a League meeting, only heading over to the local fast food chain to grab enough food to sustain him through the meeting. Philip unexpectedly became kind, ending the interview right then and there, dramatically telling his paparazzi to 'shoo'.

Fortunately, a commercial break followed the interview, giving them time to breathe and wonder what just happened.

Marshal grabbed another handful of popcorn to put in his bowl, "Does anyone know how he's still alive?"

"Nope," Shauntal stretched, careful not to wake Caitlin.

The others nodded and hummed in agreement. A few minutes later, Iris nearly jumped as she found something in the Pokémon Crackers.

"Look!" Iris dashed to Alder, "You have to eat it! It's an Escavalier!"

Alder laughed, popping the cracker version of Escavalier in his mouth as commercial break ended.

 **Philip:** Welcome back to The PokéRundown! We are on our last stretch of the show, only two Elite Four members left!

 **Myra:** That's right, just Malva and Drasna. Let's start over with Malva, who may be having a social media crisis!

 **Philip:** Malva just came back from a well-deserved vacation over at Sinnoh, which is cool and all, but just in case you missed it, we have the tea on what she did! How so? She posted on the wrong Facebook page!

 **Myra:** Instead of posting her vacation pics over at her personal page, she posted it on her business page! Don't worry if you missed out though, here are some of the pics we could get before she posted them down six hours later!

 **Philip:** Rumor has it that she only realized this because she got too many likes too fast!

 **Myra:** But you know what we say about rumors. Time to get to the bottom of this!

To everyone's relief, Malva's interview was not a complete ambush or near disaster. It started with Myra ordering the crew around with a multitude of sharp whispers in the studio. Then, they headed downstairs in the most ridiculous, crouched position, Myra acknowledging their HR department as they crossed paths. Once out, the crew walked out the door, just to 'secretly' head next door and sit in the lobby.

It didn't take long for Myra to spot Malva, who was coming out of the elevator, focused on her phone. Instead of running and screaming as she usually did, she called out Malva's name in a polite holler. The holler alone earned some sympathetic looks from other workers in the building. Obviously, it wasn't Malva's first time with them, as she told them to keep it short since she was on lunch break.

"Finally," Marshal sighed, "Someone feels for them."

"I'm glad she told them to keep it short," Grimsley said, "I was getting annoyed at their interview tactics."

Caitlin yawned, "Do you think they're nicer to her because she knows their spoiled tea?"

"Spoiled tea?" Iris tilted her head.

"She means gossip they don't want people to know," Shauntal clarified.

Spoiled tea was what Malva delivered in the interview, nonchalantly reminding Myra of her own social media mishaps before heading off to lunch. Still, Myra considered the interview a complete success as she headed back to the studio.

 **Philip:** Now, for the finale! Listen closely viewers, this is scary stuff. If you're an Elite Four member or Champion…

 **Myra:** We're honored! But seriously, this is your guys worst. Nightmare. Ever.

Caitlin immediately sat up, leaning forward with everyone else, fists lightly clenched.

"What was my worst nightmare, when I was Champion?" Alder whispered to himself.

 **Philip:** To get you the authentic news, we will just show you what happened to Drasna, right when we were there.

Flashback transition music played out in time with the flashy sequences. Myra and Philip, for some reason, were right outside the castle of Kalos's Pokémon League, running towards one side of the field.

 **Myra:** Guys, guys. We just got news that Elite Four Drasna is _stuck_ at her post!

 **Philip:** Apparently, she noticed her transporter turned off, meaning she has no way to get out as of now.

 **Myra:** So far, we know that she called Wikstrom, who was battling a trainer, mid-battle to tell the trainer if they won, to not go to her post. Then, she called some technician guy who just walked inside. I'm so scared, I don't know if she's going to be okay!

 **Philip:** It's okay, Myra. We must have faith in the technicians to do their job. Hopefully, the trainer isn't stalled at Drasna's post for long if he wins against Wikstrom.

A few moments later, a young trainer, around sixteen, walked out of the castle, noticing the news crew nearby. As always, Myra and Philip noticed the poor trainer.

 **Myra:** Excuse me young trainer!

 **Philip:** May we have a moment with you? We are Myra and Philip with The PokéRundown an –

 **Wikstrom:** (suddenly stands in front of the trainer) Myra! Philip! As pure as your intentions are, please do not bother this young man! Verily, he just had an honorable battle against me moments ago and lost due to a pause during battle that was out of our control. Do not fret, you will see him in due time, but as of now, we will both head to the Pokémon Center to heal.

The hosts left the confused trainer and Wikstrom alone after that, scramming every which direction, spewing out their thoughts without a filter.

"Do you think the trainer will be okay?" Iris asked

Grimsley sighed, "I hope so. He should be. Even if left to chance, Wikstrom is beside him. He'll make sure the trainer is safe."

Suddenly, the camera man caught the hosts attention (and theirs) by pointing at Siebold, who went out. Exactly like last time, Philip screamed 'Elite Four Siebold' multiple times as he ran towards him, Myra following suit.

 **Myra:** Elite Four Siebold! May we have a moment with you? It's about Elite Four Drasna!

 **Philip:** We've heard she's stuck in her post!

 **Siebold:** Drasna? I don't recall hearing about her being stuck in her post. I would have gotten a message by now.

 **Myra:** You have to go check! For us! The PokéRundown! This. Is. Horrible! What if she…dies!

 **Siebold:** I am sure Drasna will be out before we know it. Now, I must hurry back to our break house to start dinner.

 **Philip:** Uh…sir. Who starts making dinner at 3 in the afternoon?

 **Siebold:** Chefs who forgot to plan what to make their friends. I'll have you know casseroles take some time to prepare from scratch.

Somehow Siebold escaped the screaming, earning a sigh of relief from everyone. Grimsley started fidgeting with a coin while Marshal grabbed the rest of the popcorn to stress eat. Iris was fidgeting with her fingers as Caitlin was doing the same with her hair.

"I'm confused," Shauntal started, "Is this over Drasna, or the trainer?"

Alder kept staring at the screaming hosts, "I think…it's over Drasna…"

Eventually, Diantha came out, obviously wondering what all the commotion was. She spotted one of the cameras, smiling as she looked into the lens. As she walked over, Myra and Philip started screaming her name, meeting her in the middle of the field.

 **Myra:** Champion Diantha! We recently got first-hand news that Drasna is stuck in her post! It seems like Siebold didn't know about this!

 **Diantha:** She sent us a message a moment ago about the ordeal. Don't worry, she said she got out and is well.

 **Philip:** (collapsed on his knees) Thank Arceus! (goes back to face the camera) Camera Crew! Viewers! We just got confirmation by the Grand Duchess herself that her fellow Duchess is no longer stuck at her post!

 **Myra:** Do you know how this could've possibly happened!?

 **Diantha:** I'm afraid not.

The hosts kept bombarding theoretical commentary and apocaplyptic questions at Diantha until Drasna and Malva walked out the castle.

It was at that moment; all hell broke loose.

Diantha got shoved to the side by Myra, nearly trampled by the camera crew, as they ran and screamed towards Drasna. Panic seemed to rise in Drasna, rendering her helpless, until she suddenly fainted into Malva's arms.

 **Malva:** What the –

 **Philip:** She fainted! Quick! Myra! Do your thing!

 **Malva:** Stay away from her, you runt!

 **Myra:** I was only going to sing her a lullaby! She needs all the comfort she can get!

 **Philip:** Breaking news viewers! Drasna has fainted, and we –

 **Malva:** For the love of…this is _not_ the time for news, _Philip_.

 **Myra:** The people must know!

 **Malva:** She fainted because you big, bad, makeshift, paparazzi crew just _had_ to stampede your way here!

 **Philip:** We are respected journalists!

 **Malva:** Fantastic! Just great! Here's a headline. Two entertainment journalists use the power of scare tactics to interview Elite Four Drasna! Go f –

 **Wikstrom:** Verily my eyes do not see…Drasna! What happened?

 **Myra:** She fainted! How will she wake up without my lullaby!

 **Wikstrom:** Worry not, I am sure she will awaken. Let's –

 **Philip:** Crew! Get to Drasna! Quick!

 **Malva:** Son of a bitch! Don't touch her!

 **Wikstrom:** Get away at this instant!

 **Myra:** We must! We must! Pleas –

 **Diantha:** EVERYONE! BE! QUIET!

Not many people have heard Diantha scream (outside of movies), but if Shauntal were asked to describe it, she would simply say the following three words: _cold, brutal, fervent._

Based on their positions, not even the Elite Four seemed to have heard her scream or with that expression. She was cloaked with tears, shaking with an overflow of emotion. Wikstrom stood in his place, face blank in shock. Malva was still holding Drasna in her arms, albeit closer to her chest, eyes glassy, staring right at Diantha. As for Philip and Myra, they were frozen in place, quivering.

 **Diantha:** Forgive me for the sudden outburst. Wikstrom, take Drasna back to the break house. Malva, go along with them and call Siebold. Tell him to make some hot chocolate for Drasna. I will handle the media from here.

Wikstrom handed Diantha a handkerchief before carrying Drasna. Upon letting go, Malva stood up and started dialing Siebold's number. Once they headed out, Diantha turned her attention to the hosts.

 **Diantha:** Are you two all right?

 **Philip:** Ummm…turn of events surprised us.

 **Myra:** Yes. That's all. Any…comments?

 **Diantha:** Yes. First, I'd like to apologize for my behavior and lack of control of this situation. I was overwhelmed by seeing my friend suddenly faint. That, combined with the chaos, made me emotional and yell. Still, it is no excuse. I know you two just wanted to help, but I should have stepped in earlier to inform you that this situation would be handled by Malva.

Within the next several minutes, the hosts calmed down, talking to Diantha until they felt terrible enough to tell the crew to go 'shoo'.

The transition sequence played, signaling the end of the show. Myra and Philip did a quick recap, said their goodbyes, and told the viewers to check in two days for another new episode of The PokéRundown.

After a moment, Alder spoke, "That certainly was…a nightmare."

Silence followed as they processed what they did with the last thirty minutes of their lives.

"So do you guys want to watch that new movie Brycen is in?" Iris finally asked.

"Of course!" Marshal jumped out of his seat, "Let me get some more popcorn here. I kind of ate all of it."

"Brycen is playing the lead! He supposedly had to fine tune his martial arts, which is hard to imagine. I heard it had loads of drama too!" Shauntal exclaimed, sitting up.

Caitlin shook her hair into place, "Brycen fine-tuning his martial arts skills? Marshal! You may have a competitor in the works!"

"I would still place my money on Marshal," Grimsley added as he put the movie in, "Go help yourself to more food Alder. There's plenty."

Regardless of their excitement for the movie, it didn't negate the last thirty minutes of their get-together. Those were thirty minutes. Thirty minutes gone – wasted. Perhaps it wasn't wasted, depending on who was asked. In the end, it didn't matter. Those moments, whether it was a silly adventure out, listening to a ridiculous story, or even getting caught up in celebrity news, still happened.

Those small moments created small memories. Sure, they weren't grand, or even remotely important in the span of their lives, but alas, it was cherished. After all, it was always the little things that made their friendship what it was.

 **A/N:** Hi there! It's me Lizzy, and before I go on, I'd like to say thanks! Thanks for clicking on this story and making it to the end. You can follow, favorite, comment/critique, and/or send good vibes (maybe bad vibes, I don't judge) if you'd like. Anything and everything is appreciated.

Even though I had this story in mind the longest, it was the most difficult to write. I found the inspiration for writing Diantha, Wikstrom, and Siebold quickly. As soon as I got to Malva and Drasna, I hit a writer's block. Yes, I had my ideas written down, just no words to put it in. Two weeks later, I _finally_ found the words to write about Malva and Drasna (along with the crew's reactions).

That said, I am satisfied with how everything turned out. Now, I should go thank my not-so-lovely Pokémon fangirling sister, Tanya. Thanks for editing all of this and listening to my Pokémon shenanigans. It's not like you're complaining; I have listened to you talk about Pokémon for hours. I would also like to thank all the random name/movie/whatever generator I used. I'm too lazy to think of names of non-important characters.

Now, for the real question. How much of that last fiasco was real and how much of it was acting?


End file.
